August, 2015

Summer is winding down, which means we’re in the latter stages of 2015. It also means football season is finally here. But do you know what else it means? There’s still a whole slew of mixed martial arts fights that we have to look forward to, so with that in mind, here are the top 10 fights that you, Potato Nation, should check out or – at the very least – set your DVR to as we wind down the year:

Having just finished watching the first trailer for Burning Angel’s much talked-about Ronda Rousey porn parody, Ronda ArouseMe: Grounded and Pounded, I am irate, Nation. Not because it contains absolutely zero nudity, and not because of any personal bias I have against star Kleio Valentien since she slapped that restraining order on me, but because my long and detailed list of spot-on casting suggestions for the project was completely, inexplicably ignored.

It’s as if ArouseMe director Joanna Angel didn’t appreciate or even take notice of the countless hours I clearly spent researching and drafting up that list, requiring no less than three recuperative naps in the process. Did they think I was only after a few extra clicks on a once mid-tier MMA blog, and not auditioning for a position in the multi-billion dollar industry that is porn casting? This was supposed to be *my* moment, god dammit! This was my chance to be a somebody!! (*kicks can*)

All that said, I’m sure there are a handful of you who’d still like to see the trailer for Ronda ArouseMe regardless of the fact that it took a steaming dump on my dreams, so check it out after the jump.

It’s the most heated rivalry in the heavyweight division today, and on Saturday, Dec. 19, Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem settle the score in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

In the FOX-televised card’s main event, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone challenges for a UFC title for the first time when he battles lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a highly-anticipated rematch.

On the heels of a technical draw with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s crew in the WSOF lobby, it appears that Nate Diaz is once again ready to do some fighting *inside* the octagon. You know, for money this time, because apparently the royalty checks he’s collecting for being the first guy to use the middle finger as a taunt aren’t quite cutting it.

A little over a year removed from his last actual in-ring confrontation (a one-sided decision loss to Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC on FOX 13), Diaz will return to the octagon at UFC on FOX 17 in December, facing rising contender turned recent robbery victim Michael Johnson.

Fight Night 74 was a night full of surprises, and that’s not just referring to the fact that seven underdogs came out victorious on Sunday night, or the fact that the highly-anticipated main event ended before it ever got started. No, the biggest shock of the night came in the form of 26-year old Frankie Perez, who followed up an impressive (if not necessarily surprising) KO of Sam Stout by retiring in the ring. Check out the video above.

“I train with the best team on the planet” said Perez, “I have the utmost confidence to beat anybody in this division. (But) me being 26, this is my first win in the UFC and my last. I’m done after this. I’ve brought my dreams to come true and I’m on to the next chapter in my life. I’m done putting my family and my body through all this.”

For a while there, it seemed as if we were all but destined to see Ronda Rousey take on her arch-rival not named Cyborg for a third time following their respective wins over Bethe Correia and Jessica Eye, but today brings word of a fight many of us probably didn’t see coming.

During an appearance on Good Morning America earlier today, Rousey herself made the announcement that her next title defense won’t be against Miesha Tate, nor will it be against Cyborg, but against former pro boxer/kickboxer turned undefeated MMA fighter Holly Holm, at UFC 195. Or to put it another way: The lamb has passed through the gate. It has come to the killing floor. Its blind eyes see nothing of the horrors to come.

(Derailing the hype train of a youngster once and for all, on the other hand…via Getty)

Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski have a lot in common. They’re both over six feet tall, they were both born in 1979, and they both recently used Antonio “Bifgoot” Silva as a stepping stone for their careers. (Ed note: Click here to celebrate that sweet burn with me.)

Less than a year ago, it looked like Mir all but destined to wind up alongside his former rival in the “forced retirement” line, and now, he’s looking at a potential title shot if he is victorious over Arlovski, whom himself just defeated a heavily-favored top 5 opponent in his last contest. The two veteran heavyweights will do battle at UFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2 in just a couple weeks in a fight that has damn near everyone foaming at the mouth in anticipation. Everyone except Frank Mir, that is.

Following a six year absence from the octagon, Tamdan McCrory has returned, babayyy!!! All hail #TeamBarnCat!!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with McCrory’s story, it’s perhaps one of the best in recent memory. McCrory first entered the UFC back in 2007, where his unusual, “nerdy” look and 6′ 4″ frame immediately singled him out as a unique fighter in the promotion’s welterweight division. Of course, putting away a veteran of the game like Pete Spratt via triangle choke in his promotional debut was also a surefire way to get noticed.

McCrory would pick up wins over Luke Cummo and Ryan Madigan during his two-year UFC tenure, but losses to Akihiro Gono, Dustin Hazelett, and finally John Howard would see him released from the promotion in August of 2009. McCrory would not be seen nor heard from again for the nextfive years, which, according to his recent interview with MMAFighting, was never really a part of his plan:

***Late last night, former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson took to Twitter and Facebook to vent his frustrations regarding an “ugly woman at the gym” who was “stretching where people are supposed to lift.” It was an incredibly poor lapse in judgement for Johnson, who has a long and very public history with domestic violence, and he has wisely since deleted the posts. But in the hopes of curbing Johnson — or any other MMA fighters, really — from posting something incredibly stupid and/or defamatory on social media in the future, we’ve written the following open letter.***